Valve



Patented Aug. 15, 1939 PATENT OFFIQE VALVE Arthur P. Ricard, Slater, Mo.

Application October 3,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to valves for controlling the flow of liquid through a pipe and which automatically permits the passage therethrough of a predetermined quantity of liquid prior to its closing and after structure forming a part thereof, has been manually manipulated to cause the valve to open and the flow of said predetermined amount of liquid to start.

One of the important aims of this invention is to provide a valve having structure for permitting a certain quantity of liquid to flow therethrough, which structure is adjustable to selectively alter the quantities of liquid passing therebeyond from a source of supply in a pressure tank.

A still further aim of this invention is to provide a valve with a main valve head and means for utilizing the pressure of the liquid being handled, to maintain said valve head in the open position until that pressure diminishes to a predetermined point, said point being governed by the character of manually adjustable means embodied in the valve.

A yet further object of this invention is the provision of an automatic valve that is designed for use with a liquid tank wherein the pressure is normally at a point capable of moving the parts of the valve to an open condition and maintaining said parts thereat until the escape of liquid from said tank, through the valve, lowers the pressure sufficiently to allow a spring in the valve to draw said parts to the closed position.

Other objects of the invention will appear during the course of the following specification, referring to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure l is an edge elevation of the valve made in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a tank for use in connection with the valve embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section through the same, taken on line IIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary central sectional view similar to Fig. 2, but with the parts interlocked; and,

Fig. 4 is a transverse cross sectional view through the valve, taken on line IVIV of Fig. 2.

A valve constructed in accordance with this invention is particularly useful in connection with fiushable toilet seats, but may be used to control the flow of liquid wherever it is desired to allow a given amount of liquid to pass from a source of supply, to a place of use after which time, the valve automatically closes and resets itself for the next operation. As an example, where the valve illustrated is used with toilet seats, the

1938, Serial No. 232.940

amount of water employed thereby should be approximately two gallons. A greater or lesser amount of liquid may be caused to pass through the valve by manually setting the structure provided therefor, all as will be more fully hereinafter set down.

The illustrated embodiment of the preferred form of the invention comprises a body 6 wherein is provided a chamber 8, an inlet port I and an outlet port l2. Chamber 8 is in the nature of a longitudinally extending cavity having an outlet port 12 near one end thereof and an inlet port it intermediate the ends.

A supply pipe l4 leads from a. source of supply which is a suitable compression tank, or other similar vessel that presents the liquid to inlet port I!) under pertain normal initial pressure. It is contemplated that the pipe S supplying the tank, be much smaller in diameter than pipe l4 so that when liquid escapes from tank T through pipe l4, the pressure thereof will gradually diminish.

An annular shoulder I6 is formed on the inner face of body 6 which forms chamber 8 and with this shoulder 6 is arranged a head l8 mounted on stem 28, reciprocably carried by body 6 within chamber 8. Stem 20 is journalled in opening 22 formed through one wall of body 6 and a screwthreaded length 24 thereof, is housed in cap 26. A knurled thumb nut 28 is in screw-threaded engagement'with threaded portion 24 of stem 20, and spring 31! has one end in engagement with nut 28 at the other end in contact with the outer face of body 6 around opening 22.

Plate 32 is carried by the end of stem 20 in spaced relation to head 18 and projection 34 is integral therewith. This plate 32 is loosely fitted in chamber 8 so that there is a small space around the annular periphery thereof, for the passage of liquid, as will be hereinafter explained. A bypass duct 36 is also provided in body 6. Means for opening and closing this by-pass duct is clearly illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, and comprises a rod 38 upon which is mounted member 4!) having a shoulder 42 thereon. This member 40 is in the nature of a sealing element and one end thereof has a gasket 44 therein to rest against seat 48 which in reality is the end of collar 48 through which rod 38 passes.

Rod 38 is smaller in diameter than the bore .50

end of rod 58 is slidably journalled in socket 62 and a closure 64 forms an end of chamber 8; All of the parts are created of rust resisting material, body 6 may be cast and machined'to present the form illustrated, and the stemand rod 6 and 38 respectively, together with their associated parts, are obviously completely removable and therefore, easily 'placeable when the valve is being manufactured.

Operation In the condition shown in Fig. 2, head I8 is held against shoulder l6 by the combined downward force of liquid in the upper part of chamher 8 upon plate 32 and the force of spring 30. Spring 66 is holding member 44 against seat 46 to preclude the passage of liquid through duct 36. To operate the valve, thimble 58 is pressed to move rod 38 inwardly and thereby separate member 44 and seat 46. Liquid from the upper part of chamber 8, above plate 62, will immediately pass through space 52 thence through holes 50 and from this point down to outlet port IZthrough the lower part of by-pass duct 36. When pressure above plate 32 is so released, upward pressure on the bottom of plate 32 by liquid entering from tank T by way of supply pipe I4,

, forces.

When stem 20 has been lifted so as to open a passage from inlet port to outlet port I and I2 respectively, member 34 will be in the position shown in Fig. 3. Shoulder 42 will be drawn against the side of member 34 by spring 60 as soon as the operator has released pressure upon thimble 58. Thus, member 34 and shoulder 32 will be in direct frictional engagement and will remain so until the pressure of the liquid passing through the valve from tank T reduces enough to allow spring 30 to draw head l8 back against shoulder l6 and member 34, from engagement with shoulder 42; At-this time, spring to returns member 44 to engagement with seat 46.

After the valve is closed, liquid entering tank T will build up a pressure equal to that in pipe S and such pressure will be exerted on the upper face of plate 32 to supplement spring 30 in maintaining head l8 against shoulder I6.

'The diameter of plate 32 is slightly less than the inside diameter of chamber 8 and the very small space therefore is left between the outer periphery of plate 32 and the inner face of body 6 which forms chamber 8, so that liquid can reach the upper part of chamber 8.

. 'Manifestly, the tension of spring 30 becomes the governing factor in the length of time that head 18 is removed from seat I6, and merely moving nut26 to compress or expand spring 30 will be effective in determining the amount of liquid that passes through the valve after pressing thimble 58 and before it automatically stops the flow.

Valves having physical characteristics different from those illustrated and described, may be made to embody this invention without departing from the spirit thereof or scope of the appended claims.

7 Having thus described the invention, what is the inlet port and the outlet port; a stem recipf rocably mounted within said chamber; ahead on the stem intermediate the ends thereof, adapted to be seated on the shoulder when the stem is at one end of its path of travel; a spring to yieldably hold the head against the shoulder to prevent flow from the inlet port to the outlet port; a plate on the stem between said inlet port and one end of the chamber; a by-pass duct formed in the body, interconnecting that portion of said chamber between the said plate and the proximal end thereof and the said outlet port; a seat formed in the duct; a member normally in engagement with the seat to stop the flow through said by-pa-ss duct; manually operable structure for disengaging the mernber from the seat.to permit flow through said by-pass duct; and means for returning the member to its normal position and yieldably maintaining the same in such position, said reciprocably mounted stem and the said seat engaging member having interengaging parts for locking them together when the stem is at the other end of its path of travel and the member is disengaged from the said seat. V

2. A valve of the character described comprising a body provided with a chamber therein and an inlet port and an outlet port, each in communication with the chamber at spaced apart portions thereof; an internal, annular shoulder formed on the body within the chamber between the inlet port and the outlet port; a stem reciprocably mounted Within said chamber; a head on the stem intermediate the ends thereof, adapted to be seated on the shoulder when the stem is at one end of its path of travel; a spring to yieldably hold the head against the shoulder to prevent flow from the inlet port to the outlet port; a plate on the stem between said inletport and one end of the chamber; a by-pass duct formed in the body, interconnecting that portion of said chamber between the said plate and the proximal end thereof and the said outlet port; a seat formed in the duct; a member normally. in engagement with the seat to stop the flow through said by-pass duct; and means for returning the member to its normal position and yieldabl'y maintaining the same in such position, said reciprocably mounted stem and the said seat engaging member having inter-engaging parts for locking them together when the stem is at the other end of its path of travel and the member is- 3. A valve of the character described comprising a body provided with a chamber therein and an inlet port and an outlet port, each in communication with the chamber at spaced apart portions thereof; an internal, annular shoulder formed on the body within the chamber between the inlet port and the outlet port; a stem reciprocably mounted within said chamber; a head on the stem intermediate the ends thereof, adapted to be seated on the shoulder when the stem is at one end of its path of travel; a spring to yieldably hold the head against the shoulder to prevent flow from the inlet port to the outlet port; a plate on the stem between said inlet port and one end of the chamber; a by-pass duct formed in the body, interconnecting that portion of said chamber between the said plate and the proximal end thereof and the said outlet port; a seat formed in the duct; a member normally in engagement with the seat to stop the flow through said by-pass duct; manually operable structure for disengaging the member from the seat to permit flow through said by-pass duct; and means for returning the member to its normal position and yieldably maintaining the same in such position, said reciprocably mounted stem and the said seat engaging member having interengaging parts for locking them together when the stem is at the other end of its path of travel and the member is disengaged from the said seat, said spring being provided with means for varying the tension thereof.

4. A valve of the character described comprising a body provided with a chamber therein and an inlet port and an outlet port, each in communication with the chamber at spaced apart portions thereof; an internal, annular shoulder formed on the body Within the chamber between the inlet port and the outlet port; a stem reciprocably mounted within said chamber; a head on the stem intermediate the ends thereof, adapted to be seated on the shoulder when the stem is at one end of its path of travel; a spring to yieldably hold the head against the shoulder to prevent flow from the inlet port to the outlet port; a plate on the stem between said inlet port and one end of the chamber; a by-pass duct formed in the body, interconnecting that portion of said chamber between the said plate and the proximal end thereof, and the said outlet port; a seat formed in the duct; a rod reciprocably journalled in the body with its longitudinal axis intersecting the extended longitudinal axis of said stem; a member on the rod, normally in engagement with the seat to stop the flow through said by-pass duct; a spring to hold the member in said normal position; and a shoulder on the rod for frictionally engaging the stem to lock the stem and rod together when the stem is at the other end of its path of travel and the member is disengaged from the said seat. I

' ARTHUR P. RICARD. 

